Wake Up Call

<Kara lets her hands drop at her sides as her face turns toward the Sun with closed eyes, bathing in the warmth and empowering light it bathes her in before the softer voice of the pale half-breed breaks the calm, "I'm sorry Rach, but I couldn't...I can't keep doing this." The school bag drops to the weathered stone beneath their feet as Kara lets it go while turning to face Rachel, and the agent soon after he joins without a sound, "Who are you? I want to help you, but I never know how to do it. You're open one moment, then you shut yourself off to me the next...I'm sorry I bring up sore subjects, I..." The alien brings one hand up to grasp the others forearm, "There's nothing more saddening then seeing the person inside you, knowing it's just going to get locked away soon. I came in here today complaining about disguised and mixed personalities...when you can't even be one Rachel at a time." The blond looks away and sniffles as her heart lowers, "I'm sorry. I'm just blubbering over nothing now. Stupid of me." The alien mumbles to herself to hide her embarrassment over once again being over-reactive toward her team-mates lives.>

<Rachel halted her approach as Kara addressed her, leaving a gap of ten feet or so between the hybrid demon and the solar-powered alien. The inquiry bit into her composure, but not enough to pull the paler woman out from behind that focused manner. Those dark blue eyes wavered, though only a moment, before fixing on Kara again. For once, she was glad of her empathy's absence, she didn't want any part of how Kara was feeling, particularly knowing she'd been the catalyst. A slow breath was drawn by the sterner woman as she looked at the ground, her voice emerging in a focused utterance, though one that allowed a bit of the sentiment beneath the escape in turn. Ah, there was the chink in the empath's armour, "I am exactly what I have shown you, Kara, both now, and previously." Something faintly bothered touched her tone, though was directed inward, "I am what you have seen in the past two months, with this thing on my neck." She looked up and to the side with a sigh, "Just as much as I am what you just saw inside." The half-demon's fingers rose to brush along her pale cheek as she pressed on, "Is it not stupid of you to be perplexed by what I am. At times I do not know my own nature." Her head gave a crisp shake as she paced a few steps away, "But I am trying, Kara. To show you." Her pale features turned Dick's way, "Both of you.">

<Dick keeps his distance by taking a lean against the brick wall of the bathhouse. He's close enough to listen, to note the subtle (and obviously the more dramatic) changes in the posture and expressions of the two women. This suits him better, observing from afar. It's much easier to get a read on the situation this way, and given that he's still not entirely sure what happened in there, a clear picture is sorely needed. He watches the exchange as one might assess rhetoric, noting both the expressed and unspoken intent. When the empath looks to him, he narrows his eyes, not necessarily in doubt, merely a quizzical reaction. Still, he says nothing, there's not really anything for him to say that wouldn't run the risk of exacerbating the situation. The acrobat just crosses his arms over his chest, acknowledging the call his way with a little shrug of his shoulders.>

<Kara gives short quick nods to the empathic woman before sighing out, "Maybe...I'm not meant to find more than friends here. I can't get near anyone, or anything without cracking them, pushing them to breaking points." The Kryptonian looks to the small indention of fingers into the tree trunk, "I'm not going to ask for anything else from you, either of you. I feel like I've reached so far out that I'll fall past another inch." Kara smiles to herself softly, "Dick can just remain so silent and cool when he needs it, and you can conceal yourself in knowledge all you like, but I know what you're both like underneath, and you'll never let me see those people." The meta-human clenches a fist and presses it to her chest firmly, above her heart, " It's not unbreakable just because I am, you know." Kara moves toward Rachel slowly and reaches out to cup both hands to her cheeks as gently as the breeze around them, "I'm trying too, Rachel, I'm trying to be stable when I'm not." Bright blue eyes flicker from Rachel, toward the observant male, "Can't we three just, try and focus on us? Forget case work, magical seals and the world for a day, and just...look at us. Please?">

<Rachel turned Kara's way at the words that struck her to the core, her deep blue eyes wavering anew as she drew a few steps closer, "You have not cracked me. And any push you have been, I have needed you to be." Rachel's darker eyes sought Kara's out as the Kryptonian continued to speak, her features remaining stoic and expressionless, aside of the growing flare in those indigo depths. She didn't need her abilities to hear the hard truth in Kara's voice, to feel the pain informing each word. "Kara. Ask us for something, please." Her voice dropped a notch as those hands found her features, tilting her eyes into the alien's as she spoke, "If it is anything I can do, ask it of me." Earnest honesty in that low alto, her gaze fixing on the alien woman's as her expression softened quietly away from that stone wall, into the more neutral look she tended to wear. Rachel's hands rose then, wrapping her long fingers around the tanned wrists of the Kryptonian in a firm pressure that formed a link between the two vigilante beauties. "I am sorry, Kara. I did not mean you harm." The truth, as always, "I am trying to show you what I cannot show the world. It is not easy for me to let you in." The hybrid's teeth found her lower lip as she exhaled, "Once the collar is removed..." Rachel trailed off and closed her eyes, giving her head a little shake as she bowed her head quietly.>

<Dick catches himself slipping as Kara elaborates on their circumstances, his stoicism breaking beneath the weight of her words. He finally looks away, staring at the cobblestone path now. There's no point assessing when the intent is stated so bluntly, and it's been a while since he's heard anyone speak with such unfettered honesty. Leave it to Kara to nail that one. It's not simply a matter of her heritage, one would be hard-pressed to squeeze such emotional vulnerability out of Clark or Conner. "You haven't done anything wrong, Kara, I'm far from broken." That Grayson standard ain't very high, then... a step up from the Wayne bar, though, so at least there's that. He sighs, following Rachel's input with something more substantial than what he'd previously offered. "You bring a level of honesty and communication that none of us could manage without you, Kara. That's not something to apologize for. I'm sorry we--I'm so difficult at times." Her comment about setting aside casework makes him screw up his face for a moment, clearly unsure of how to take that. Is it even doable? "...I'm with Rachel here in being open to requests, let me just start with that. I'm just... I'm not entirely sure how to do what you're suggesting." Dick Grayson just admitted he doesn't know how to do something. And now, Hell's forecast: Scattered flurries.>

<Kara would be found trembling slightly within the pale grasp of the Raven as she listens to the words of her most closely held loved ones, not just on a romantic level but as people who have and continue to stand at her side. Admittance, heart-felt effort from each of them in turn from what Kara felt was just another meltdown, but here after placing her heart into their view they weren't running away, or telling a little girl to shut up. Instead, it was compassion and a genuine sense of hope rekindles within the alien's breast as she keeps her head down a moment, letting thin warm tears roll down her features before she exhales a breath she didn't realize was being held for dragging moments. Held perhaps by the fact she expected resistance after the accusations, no that wasn't right, she had been pointing blame but it was after she had dropped her own facade of stability, to the performer and the mystic that Kara felt clear again, "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so loud." The Kryptonian clears her throat as those words barely escaped in a solid tone, "But uhm, thank you...thank you both, for listening to me. It's the greatest feeling in this life to be heard." The blond moves to embrace Rachel firmly, looking past at the agent behind them with a soft shudder, "I know I'm a handful all the time, that I dream of this...crazy romance with you, and that I ask too much." Kara nuzzles the sides of her head with Rae's, "All I ask for is this, right now, our being this open as much as we can for each other. We each need to work on this, it's so hard, but we can." The young Kryptonian closes her blue eyes as she attempts putting the brakes on, "Difficult is our middle names, isn't it?" She tries adding with a softly sniffled chuckle.>

<Rachel remained silent as the agent spoke his piece, though she gave a few short nods in assent to his statements. The avians were perhaps a bit too alike, often burying themselves under layers of logic, stoicism, and control. Having someone like Kara to cut to the heart of the matter was... terrifying, but so needed that it was uncanny. She was the stark sunlight to the shadows the blackbird and bluebird favoured, out in the daylight where Dick and Rachel walked predominately in darkness. And in a sense, she was everything the former Titans needed to face their own natures, from time to time. "We are difficult people to get close to." Raven could concede that easily enough, "That you keep trying means more than you know, Kara." The grasp that enfolded her was enough to make her ache, but wild horses wouldn't drag the information from the half-demon, who slowly lifted her pale arms to return it in a firm embrace of her own. "You do not ask too much, Kara. We... I know I am difficult to be in any kind of relationship with." Her fingers curled into the back of the Kryptonian's shirt, "I will find a way to show you how I feel.">

<Dick sighs as he finally makes his approach, not joining the pair in their embrace, but simply relocating his lean to the trunk of the tree they're presently beneath. Once again, he keeps quiet for the most part, unsure of what to offer beyond agreement with Rachel. "You're asking for exactly the right amount. It's more an issue of being given too little." His gaze lifts to the brances above, the warm sunlight breaking through the leaves causing the blue of his eyes to flash as it passes over them. "I'll try to fix that." A few quick, almost lazy movements find him seated in one of the lower branches of the tree, one leg pulled up beneath himself as he lets the other dangle. In his defense, he tends to do his best thinking with some height. One can't put him in an emotional crisis so close to something so climbable and expect him to keep his feet on the ground. The empath's offer to prove her affection makes him nod while he readjusts in his perch, soon dropping smoothly to hang upside down, finally seeking Kara's gaze. "I will, too. Until then, I can say with confidence that I really, really like you a lot." He hesitates, though this seems to be playful melodrama, obvious in the way he drops his voice to a whisper he speaks again. "And I mean like-like you.">

<Kara remains within the embrace of the Raven for a long while as those pale fingers caress along the thin white fabric at her back, and her heart is put at ease as two others give such confessional reassurance. Kara smiles gradually as Rachel confirms efforts haven't gone unnoticed, and that thus far the alien hadn't asked for more than she feared. Love was a treasure, a gift so great few gave the genuine thing, and Kara believed entirely that both avians would never use the word without absolute meaning behind it. Kara was far more passionate than was tolerable a lot of the time, but they both put up with and embraced it, "I'm just glad I can fill in the gaps, like you both do for myself. We need each other, no matter the relationship level I will always need you both...thank you, for not ever giving up on me." The meta-human smiles with a soft nuzzle to the smooth shoulder of her wise, collected counter-part before looking toward the suspended agent, "I like like you both, so much." finally, though hesitantly moves apart from Rachel to stand close by, slipping a hand into one of her own gently as she looks at them each, "I've asked, and now it's my turn to show patience. I'll wait, 'till the Sun stops turning. Just, remind me time to time, 'kay?" The young Kryptonian's smile was restored thanks to their honesty, the fact they put their guarded feelings out for her to see.>

<Rachel glanced into her periphery as Dick set to climbing the tree the two women stood beneath, a single dark brow rising in response to his use of the landscape as a jungle gym. It wasn't surprising in the least, of course, he'd managed somehow to give them a whole five minutes or so without fidgeting, which was perhaps a statement enough to his focus on the matter. As he set to dangling from his perch, Rae turned and planted one pale hand to the middle of his chest, giving a shove that set the acrobat to swinging in place via the momentum introduced. The 'like' statements each drew a quirk of a dark brow from the paler vigilante, who blinked and simply shook her head to the juvenile turns of phrase. Her dark indigo eyes had cleared again as they'd spoken, offering that insinuation of warmth and restrained sentiment. Raven's response to their admissions of emotional alignment was perhaps a little more convincing. First, the pale hybrid reached a hand behind Kara's neck and pulled her into a warm kiss, her head canting as those plush mulberry lips met the alien woman's in turn. There was sentiment laced through the simple embrace, a building heat that spoke as much as either woman could really seek out. When she withdrew, her tongue's tip found her upper lip in a soft sweep. Turning in place, Rachel's pale hands found Dick's features in turn, and the half-breed dipped to offer the acrobat the same quiet acknowledgement of her sentiments. Her mouth met his with a tender pressure that was almost out of place against what they commonly shared. She eased back after a moment and brushed her thumb over her lower lip as she reached into her bag, "Oh, Kara, I had forgotten." A photo was pulled out of the gym bag and offered to the Kryptonian, one that looked to be from a press release of some form, with her and the dangling man posed with some felon they'd captured. Of course, the costumes would be what stood out. Once the photo was handed off, the collared empath moved to press her back to the tree Dick dangled from, a note of resignation mingling with subtle play in her voice as she spoke, "Also, fine. I like-like both of you too.">

<Dick smiles at Kara, though his attention is pulled away briefly as he's shoved, core muscles working to compensate and establish control of his position once more. To Kara's request, he offers an affirmative salute. "Yes, ma'am." Reminders. He can do that, right? He notes the empath's reaction to their choice of phrase, crossing is arms over his chest and responding with a forced look disapproval. "Hey now, it gets the point across, doesn't it? I think it's pretty damn poetic in its grade school elegance." Not surprisingly, he shuts up when the two women kiss, watching the embrace with interest, though not in the usual sense. It's simply pleasant to see, particularly after the way tempers had risen so swiftly inside the bathhouse. An appropriate end to a successful exchange. Still, there's a moment of hesitance when Rachel turns to offer him the same, perhaps due to his having forgotten (or failed to adequately organize) his involvement in the whole affair. The apprehension is short-lived, quickly brushed aside while he presses against the empath's lips in turn, his own curling against his partner's in a faint smile. His curiosity clearly piques when the hybrid reaches into her bag, though he quickly puts everything together. Still, the acrobat bends his spine fluidly, lifting himself enough to steal a glance at the old photograph. "Damn I looked good in that thing. You want to know where my luck with women comes from?" He reaches out, tapping the image. "That. Right there.">

<Kara remained just as she was the moment Rachel's lips found her own even after that fleeting tongue and proximity were gone to gift the male the same. Kara only moves once down from her cloud along with Dick as the arcanist withdraws an item from her bag though it still takes the alien a moment to focus herself after a most welcome brushing of those dark, supple lips before cerulean eyes widen at the image of the old costumes, "Noooo way!" Kara stares at the picture, and them each of her comrades, before bursting out into a fit of laughter at Grayson's claim, the blond bracing herself on her knees as her features scrunch in glee, "Holy crap, this is...this is too much! It's like Elvis's unreleased record or something!" The alien shakes her head about, before finally regaining some composure, with trembling lips and a wave of a hand, "Sorry, sorry, whew...that made my week." A few more giggles escape beneath a buttoning lip.>

<Rachel arched a brow Dick's way and cast him a sidelong glance as she primly replied, "I reiterate. Disco reject." A look was cast to the photo as she wrinkled her nose, "That costume was awful." But was she talking about his, or her own? The garb she'd worn as White Raven hadn't been really out of alignment with her usual costume, but it was jarring to see herself clad in that much snowy hue. That costume had been a bitch to keep clean. "You see what I mean, Kara? He showed more cleavage than I did, for sure." Then again, Raven's costume had enclosed her from hip to neck, even though it had shown an impressive amount of leg. "Your lucky with women came from this? It is a wonder you are not celibate then." Her indigo eyes stole another peripheral glance to the acrobat, though Kara's response about him looking like Elvis saw her swivel her pale hand in gesture to the Kryptonian's outburst, "See? I am not the only one to think it ridiculous." Hey now, watch it, blackbird. At least Nightwing hadn't gone through several gallons of bleach per week just to keep his suit looking right. Rae reached a finger out to tap the image and looked Dick's way, "If you were to wear that again, there is no way I would sleep with you." Oh no, don't make it a challenge. Knowing the Bat-family, he probably has the damn thing in storage.>

<Dick just shrugs as he looks between the two women, clearly not bothered by the feedback on his old look. "If it's good enough for the high-ropes, it's good enough for the streets. Don't knock circus tradition, I'm sure there's a whole slew of curses that could come back and bite you in the ass for that." He drops to let himself hang lazily once again, muttering something about Elvis being the called 'The King' for good reason. "And how dare you doubt my methods? Look, look--" He pauses, making quick work of the buttons on his vest before tackling the dress shirt he has on beneath it. The agent soon parts the white fabric exposing the scarred chest that had been hidden away just moments ago. Another little readjustment reveals the top portion of his abdominal muscles, taut from holding his position. "How badly do you wanna sleep with me right now? Eh? Eh?" His grin betrays him as he looks between his companions, though it's hard to tell whether there's a hint of serious intent beneath his play. Rachel's assertion makes him laugh. "If you say so. I'm willing to bust it out and test that hypothesis.">

<Kara just shakes her head a few more times as the two trade arguments in favor of their side to the Night-Elvis attire, before being unable to not stare upon the tense, scarred surfaces of Dick's torso, "Uhh, is that a trick question?" The alien raises a hand for her former teacher, "I mean, if not I'd totally change votes." She giggles before shifting a warm red in the face, biting her lip to stop her own little addition to his game and looking to Rachel, "You must have had a huge laundry bill, I mean, solid white and flying? You'd be back to black in a day I think." The blond waves her hands, "No thanks, you looked good, but I love this current look more.">

<Rachel remained in her pensive lean against the tree as Dick moved to undo his shirt and vest, her gaze moving as directed by the man's cajoling tone. "Right now? That is neither here nor there." Right, avoiding the question's going to convince him. Like he hasn't known you for ten years, and can't see right through that one. "Besides, it was a matter of whether I would have sex with you in your old costume, not in your present attire," or delicious lack thereof. Kara's response drew an uplifted brow from the empathic woman, and a faint upward twitch of her dark lips. Dick's response drew her gaze in an almost haughty lift of both brows, "Test away. I can promise you I would not want to engage in any kind of sexual encounter with you in that high-collared, deep-V necked atrocity." However, once you're out of it, we'll see. Kara's comment on her attire saw the empath's features screw up mildly as she nodded in response, "I now hate the smell of bleach because of that outfit. Blood is immensely hard to get out of solid white. That and it was hardly a tactically sound look. Stealth and bright white hardly go hand in hand.">

<Dick just shrugs out of his vest and shirt to leave himself clad only in the black slacks and necktie, handing the loose garments out to Rachel before giving is tie an adjustment. Of course, as soon as he lets go, it drops towards the ground. "The world just isn't ready for my incredible fashion sense. Maybe it never will be. Alas." Kara's question makes him reach one hand out to the Kryptonian, grasping in her direction repeatedly. "It's not. Join me. Come to the dark side, it's better over here with our high collars and bare chests. You'll learn to love it if you don't already." The hybrid's remark makes him twist again, one hand moving for the branch supporting him, his opposite arm dangling. "I'm calling bullshit on that one. You keep going back to the top portion, but my ass looked amazing in those tights.">

<Kara manages to regain some form of control over herself after the two once again exchanged remarks, "I would swear you two were married, oh wow." The blond wipes away a happy tear from her face after a few more exhales of glee, then comes the offer and the extended hand, to which the Girl of Steel happily steps forwards to lean in and kiss, "You'd like that huh? Forget my 'S', less is more when it's on display!" Kara smirks at the ever quick to quip male before his last 'fact' is thrown out there, "I think that's irrelevant, the only thing changed in that department is color and it's still amazing." Kara smiles and giggles at Rachel, "You both remain hot stuff to me, but uhm, let's leave the retro gear behind.">

<Rachel rolled her hand in a dismissive gesture, her tone impatient, "You say that as though your ass does not look amazing in anything." The empath paused, then blinked. Well shit. That was out loud. Ahem. Rachel cleared her throat and averted her eyes a moment as Kara and Dick spoke, forcing composure upon herself to avoid the trace of colour that threatened her expression, "Anyways." The hybrid shook her head and glanced back to the pair of more outgoing vigilantes, "I never claimed to have exception with the bottom of the outfit. The top was what was garish, Richard." The comment about bare chests saw the half-breed's nose wrinkle mildly as she gave her head a shake, "I am more than content to leave the deep-V necks and the popped collars in the past, thank you." Not to mention the billowing white affair. Kara's comment about the two seeming like a wed couple saw Rachel stiffen a little and glance away, "I fail to see how." Oop, that one wasn't going to ping off the truth radar, now was it, blackbird? "Agreed," Rachel nodded in concert with Kara's comment of leaving the past where it belonged, "The nomex suits Dick far more, and white washed me out.">

<Dick leans into the kiss Kara offers, pressing another playful little peck to her nose once she breaks the initial contact. "I'm very much in favour of a less-is-more approach to attire if you're offering." The combined compliments from the two women see him back in his dangle pretty soon, freeing up both hands to reach back and grab the present topic of conversation. "Yeah, it's pretty great. Costumes aside, it's the real source of my power." Well, that and the finger-stripes. Chicks dig the finger-stripes. "And yes! Enough of this silliness!" He rights himself suddenly, taking to the tree once more scurrying up through its branches with ease. He disappears from view for a moment... and can't easily be heard either, what on earth is he doing up there? When he appears again, it's to drop upside down once more in a flurry of leaves, this time situating himself behind Kara. "So!" The agent takes a moment to pick a leaf out of his hair. "Whats on the agenda today?">

<Kara scrunches herself up as the agent silently popped up behind her, to which she spins in place and smiles at him about to suggest something when her bag hums and chimes. Kara curses to herself as she lifts the bag, takes out her phone and sees a text from Clark to meet him to discuss something 'important', "Ughhh, killing me Kal....I've gotta run for now guys, sorry." She pouts to them both with a frown before moving to embrace, and place a gentle but still deep kiss for each of them in kind, "This was needed, thank you lots. I'll try and swing back by if I can, 'kay?" The blond grabs her bag close, steps away from them each before she waves and dashes out.>

<Rachel blinked as the two more playful vigilantes exchanged their teasing little attentions, her dark eyes following wordlessly. A momentary pang pushed through her core, but was soon swallowed under her usual composure. The vanish of the agent saw her gaze rise to follow, hardly surprised when he reasserted himself behind the Kryptonian in turn. Ah, the chime of the phone, perhaps something each of them dreaded as much as they looked forward to it. Rachel's head canted Kara's way as she noted the blonde's need to depart, "Of course. Take care." The embrace she was offered by the alien beauty was met with pensive reply, her fingers rising to brush along Kara's cheek and jaw as she parted her full lips to the deeper connection as it rose. She parted from the kiss with a shift of her weight, pressing a second to Kara's forehead in almost tender form. Rachel's dark eyes beheld the exchange of parting affections between the two more exuberant figures before she offered a ghost of a smile.>

<Dick leans into the kiss, shifting to finally drop down to the ground once Kara moves away, calling after her. "Stay safe!" Yes, Grayson, you, with your lack of powers, are certainly in a position to tell an Earth-bound Kryptonian to watch herself in the field. He drops to seat himself against the trunk of the tree once the alien disappears from sight, speaking quietly to Rachel, though he keeps his gaze on the stones of the garden path. "I've been trying. I know it doesn't look like it, but I've been doing the best that I can.">

<Rachel watched the Kryptonian take off for whatever her cousin was calling her to assist with. Those indigo eyes lingered as Dick called out, the sentiment likely appreciated, no matter how ridiculous it was coming from the acrobat. The slouch of the agent to the tree's trunk saw Rachel fold herself into a seated position next to him, her darker gaze on him as he spoke quietly her way. Kara could overhear if she wanted to, of course, no matter where either of them were. The collared empath drew a slow breath as she crossed her long legs into the lotus position in a graceful sweep of those long limbs. Those pale features averted to look out over the courtyard as she digested his phrasing, her dark hair stirred faintly by a passing breeze. The leaved overhead cast a mottled pattern over the pair as they sat in that moment of relative tranquility, her deft hands coming to settle on her knees. It seemed like a long while before she spoke, the only sound to be heard the faint chirp of birdsong. Her voice held a note of soft gravitas as it issued in response, though her tone was warm and pensive, "I can see that you are. But what you and I might recognize as effort is not what she needs of us." The empath leaned over quietly, pressing her soft lips to the acrobat's temple in a show of wordless affection. She extended the motion into a graceful sweep that brought her to her feet, then collected her gym bag before handing the agent back his shirt and vest, "I think we both have to evaluate how we are approaching the matter." Her dark eyes lingered on his features wordlessly for a moment before she drew and released a slow breath, "Because she is worth it, and if we do not begin to show her that, we could both lose her.">